Surrounded by the limited color palette of dry grasslands and snow-covered mountains, Central Asians added bright color and bold pattern to their daily lives through the creation of patchwork and quilts. Popular pieced patterns frequently incorporated long rows of repeating triangles in contrasting colors, often black and white, which form a design today's Western quiltmakers would call Flying Geese. A foundation-pieced design similar to the popular U.S. pattern, Log Cabin—Pineapple variation, also made a frequent appearance in Central Asian patchwork. Fabrics unique to the region such as felt, ikat, and cotton prints designed in Russia specifically for the Central Asian market gave these folk textiles a distinctive look.

And while patchwork and quilting are not practiced in Central Asia today with their former frequency, new art collectives and NGOs are helping to preserve these folkways and spread them to new global markets.